The first volume of Swordsman: A Newcomer to Lang Guxuan!

The world teems with activity, where fortunes are made and lives are lost. In this intricate web of fate, who can discern between good and evil? Embracing my assigned role as a [villain], I fully embody this character. I shall contend against the heavens, the earth, humanity, and life itself! Amidst the gentle breeze and moonlit nights, with fragrant sleeves and captivating melodies, Yiren and I compose the ballad of "Swordsman" together...

Chapter 1

As late spring transitioned into April, at the southern foot of Huashan Mountain, the meadows flourished, and birds gracefully took flight, painting the fields green. A colossal cyan stone, towering majestically, stood at a corner of the mountain's base. Engraved upon this mighty stone, from top to bottom, were the three characters "Huashan School."

Examining the strength and vigor of the inscription, one could sense the calligrapher's exceptional talent. The characters exuded an air of both modesty and brilliance, capturing the essence of a humble gentleman—unassuming yet commanding. What was even more astonishing was that a master of martial arts had inscribed these characters, displaying supreme inner strength. With a slender sword blade, they carved the ten-foot boulder in one seamless stroke, penetrating its surface in three sections!

Such dedication, audacity, and strength!

Below the boulder, a group of thirty people stood in disarray. However, their appearance and demeanor did not align with the surrounding scenery. Their attire, fashion, mannerisms, and speech all revealed that they did not belong to this era of martial arts but hailed from modern times.

Among them were individuals with anxious expressions, bespectacled men with snarky smirks, trembling female students, curious onlookers with nerdy demeanors, middle-aged men with profound gazes, robust young men, and even a few who incessantly gazed at the inscription of "Huashan School."

"Have we traveled through time?" The girl, her voice quivering, was the first to speak. "Qing Chuan? Ming Chuan?"

"Rubbish! Watch your language!" The disheveled yellow-haired youth with triangular eyes sneered, making the girl shudder. "Hey, not bad-looking, huh?"

"Have you all noticed?" The bespectacled man adjusted his glasses. "We have an additional mark on our chests."

Everyone leaned in for a closer look and discovered it to be true.

The yellow-haired youth exclaimed, "Damn it! I just spent 600 bucks, and the blue dragon transformed into a mouse's head?"

Laughter erupted, even from the girls.

The girl chuckled and said, "I have a rabbit's head."

"Which imbecile embroidered a centipede on me?"

"What's this? Sea rats?"

A sturdy middle-aged man examined his chest and nodded with satisfaction. "Baihutou, not bad! What about you?"

He patted an inconspicuous young man beside him.

The young man's eyes flickered as he smiled. "The head of a dog."

This young man, ordinary in appearance and physique, belonged to the type that easily blends into a crowd without drawing attention. Only his occasionally radiant eyes hinted at his extraordinary nature.

The middle-aged man seemed skeptical, but the young man lowered his gaze, appearing harmless, causing the middle-aged man to take a cautious step back. Aware that everything was amiss, waking up inexplicably at the foot of a peculiar mountain, bearing a tiger's head tattoo on his chest, and now surrounded by 30 individuals of disparate backgrounds, the middle-aged man understood the young man's wariness. He laughed and refrained from further inquiries.

The young man concealed his chest; he did not wish to reveal it to the middle-aged man because his chest bore not the head of a dog but that of a wolf!

Although, in the presence of a middle-aged man sporting a tiger's head, a wolf's head should have been inconsequential. However, when the young man gazed at the wolf's head on his chest, it transformed into the visage of a ferocious alpha wolf, emanating an overwhelming aura of bloodlust. Merely beholding this wolf's head was enough to make one uneasy. Considering the overall peculiarity of this situation, it seemed best to refer to wolves as dogs and conform to the crowd.

Conversations ensued—some in silence, others filled with curses. At the foot of Huashan Mountain, a cacophony of voices echoed through the air.

Suddenly, the young man felt the presence of the wolf's head on his chest, and a resounding howl reverberated in his mind. Overwhelmed with pain, he dropped to his knees, clutching his head and shaking it vigorously.

A line of blood-red text flashed before his eyes.

"Name: Du Yu. Gender: Male. Age: 23 years. Space Number: 197621. Attributes: Strength 4, Speed 4, Body 4, Dao 0, Internal 0, Charm 4."

"Space Unique Ability: [Wolf Gu Xuan Kuang]. Unlimited villainy. You can only align with the villain camp during your space adventure. Characters aligned with the justice camp will exhibit a 20% decrease in favorability towards you, while characters aligned with the villain camp will exhibit a 20% increase in favorability. Villain points can only be obtained through missions and can be exchanged for the skills of heroines or heroes."

This young man, Du Yu, was an internet writer in reality. He had been working tirelessly on his drafts and coding throughout the night, eventually succumbing to sleep, only to awaken in this unfamiliar world.

As he gazed upon the fearsome wolf's head, an instinctual unease crept over him. The name "Wolf Gu Xuan Kuang" alone bore no neutral or tranquil connotations. Furthermore, the emphatic prefixes of "unique" and "hidden" left no room for doubt—something extraordinary was afoot.

Just as he was about to inquire further, another wolf howl reverberated in his mind.

Another set of blood-red characters materialized before his eyes.

"Villain Mission 1: Within 30 days, learn from any martial arts master and increase any skill by three levels. Success reward: 300 villain points. Failure penalty: Obliteration."

"Villain Mission 2: Obtain one of the three daughters, Yue Lingshan, Yilin, or Ren Yingying, within 90 days. Success reward: 400 villain points. Failure penalty: Obliteration."

"Villain Mission 3: Obtain the Evil Sword Manual or Sunflower Book within 90 days. Success reward: 500 villain points. Failure penalty: Obliteration."

The word "obliteration" was stated matter-of-factly, yet obeying these orders meant unquestionable authority, leaving one to fathom the dire consequences of failure.

"What the hell is this?" Huang Mao exclaimed. "Did you all hear that? They want us to spend a month apprenticing under martial arts masters! What kind of martial arts are we supposed to learn? Ridiculous!"

"And there's a second mission—to kill someone from the opposing camp... to take a life?" The girl forced a smile.

"The

 third mission is to survive for 90 days?" remarked the young man with the centipede tattoo.

"The reward is a general currency called survival points? What is that?"

"This joke has gone too far."

Du Yu's unease grew more pronounced.

While the three missions appeared straightforward, they were incongruous with his circumstances. Apart from the first mission, which was relatively achievable, the second involved overthrowing one of the three heroines, and the third necessitated obtaining the Sunflower Book or the Evil Sword Manual. In comparison to surviving for 90 days and eliminating an enemy character, these tasks seemed insurmountable. The situation was entirely perplexing.

What exactly was transpiring?

And how did his [Wolf Gu Xuan Kuang] insignia relate to these changes in mission?

"I fear this isn't a mere joke," the middle-aged man sighed, retrieving a shiny knuckle duster from his bosom. This weapon, known as the iron lotus, was a favorite among boxers.

"Where did you get that?" Huang Mao asked.

"Simply reach into the chest imprint, and you'll feel it," the middle-aged man replied, leisurely toying with the knuckle duster—a gesture that indicated familiarity with the weapon.

Huang Mao drew out a cold dagger.

"Heh, not bad. Easy to handle," he grinned, gesturing towards the girl. The girls retreated, seeking refuge behind the middle-aged man.

Du Yu glanced at his retinas, reading, "Newcomer Reward Rules: 1. Talents come with skills. 2. Weapons are randomly provided."

It appeared that these weapons were randomly assigned. He reached into the imprint of the wolf's head on his chest, and as expected, his hand slipped in effortlessly.

What awaited him inside was a pocket of space measuring 30 cm in length, width, and height—a revelation that shattered any remaining doubts about the situation.

They were not hostages, nor was this a dream; it was...

Reality.

Du Yu sensed a cold object and slowly withdrew it—a knife.

As he examined the blade, an introductory line caught his attention:

"Broadsword. Standard quality. Space weapon. Attack power: 1-3 points. Durability: 60 points. Can be stored in space. Valuation: 1 point."

While his hand rested upon the hilt of the broadsword hidden beneath his clothing, Du Yu surveyed the people around him.

Where there are people, there are bound to be conflicts.

Moreover, these thirty individuals were strangers to one another, each wielding a weapon.

"Alright!" the bespectacled man suddenly stood up, smiling. "Since we all share the same objective—to apprentice under martial arts masters—why not embrace it? The world appears far from peaceful, and we must support one another."

Before he could finish his statement, a wad of spit landed on his face!

"Get lost! What nonsense are you spewing?" Huang Mao sneered, gesturing with his dagger before delivering a kick to the bespectacled man's waist. "If you want to leave, you'll have to follow me, Zhang Qiang!"

As he made threats, though everyone despised him, they dared not voice their dissent. Huang Mao seemed to be a real-life gangster accustomed to wielding knives and guns.

"Beauty, come here. I'll protect you," Huang Mao laughed uproariously, extending his hand towards the female student.

A figure stepped in front of him.

"You..." Huang Mao took a step back, his voice sharp. "Don't be shameless!"

The figure was a dark-skinned, lean, and robust young man with a black viper tattoo coiling around his well-defined abs.

"Hand over your dagger," the Black Viper said coldly.

"In your dreams!" Huang Mao fiercely lunged at him with his dagger!

The Black Viper effortlessly evaded the attack, delivering a powerful high kick to Huang Mao's temple!

A resounding crack echoed as Huang Mao's body collapsed to the ground. The Black Viper pressed down on him, and despite the blood oozing from Huang Mao's eyes, nose, and ears, his eyes remained open, refusing to find solace in death.

The Black Viper's strike had dealt a fatal blow!

Du Yu, like many others, had been skeptical of the authenticity of the situation, questioning whether they were immersed in Zhuang Sheng's dream or if Zhuang Sheng was dreaming of them. However, witnessing this brutal murder unfold before their eyes, a chill swept through their hearts.

The Black Viper smiled maniacally, advancing step by step. To him, these feeble individuals who lacked any combat prowess were nothing more than prey waiting to be devoured!